Genesis A eBook

“Be fruitful now and increase; fill the verdant
earth with progeny, your race, both sons and daughters.
Under your sway shall be the salt water and all the
created world. Enjoy prosperous days, [ruling
over] both 200 the fishes of the
deep and the fowls of the air. Into your power
are given the sacred herd and the wild beasts and
every living thing that walks the earth; all breath-ing
creatures, whatsoever the sea brings forth over the
205 whale-paths, all things belong to
you two.”

Then our Maker beheld the beauty of his works and
the fullness of his abundance, his new creations.
Pa-radise stood, good and holy, filled with blessings,
ever- 210 lasting bounty. That kindly
soil was beauteously watered by the rushing seas and
springing fountains; for never yet had clouds dark
with wind brought down rains over the broad earth:
but none the less the ground stood crowned with its
harvest. From this new Garden
215 four noble river-streams have their outflow:
these were all partitioned out of one fair-shining
water by the might of the Lord, when he created the
earth, and [were thus] 220 sent out into
the world. Men dwelling on the earth, the peoples
of the nations, call one of these Fison, which broadly
girdles with its bright streams a quarter of the earth
beyond Hebeleac[7]: in that ancestral soil the
sons 225 of men, nations near and far,
find the best gold and precious stones,[8] as the
books tell us. Then the second [river], whose
name is Geon, girdles the land and govern-ment of
Ethiopia, an ample kingdom. The third is
230 Tigris, a foaming stream which
encircles the people of Assyria. Such likewise
is the fourth, which men among many a nation now widely
call Eufrates....[9]

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(Genesis B intervenes here.)

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Then the Almighty King, the great Lord, came forth
into the garden about mid-day, by his divine will;
for 855 our Saviour and merciful Father
wished to find out what his children were doing:
he knew that they were sinful to whom he had given
perfection. Bereft of their beatitude and stricken
in spirit, they avoided his presence by retreating
among the shadows of the trees; 860
they hid themselves in dark recesses, when they heard
the holy word of the Lord and feared him. Straight-way
the King of Heaven began to call for the keeper of
the [newly] created world; the mighty Lord bade his
son come to him forthwith. He answered him then,
865 the wretched one himself, destitute
of clothing, [and] said:

“Lord of my life, I am hiding myself here because
unclothed; basely sinful, I am covering my shame with
leaves: my pain is cruel, most bitter in my heart.
I dare 870 not now go forth before thy
presence: I am all naked!”